Justice was served in Minneapolis
My pulse quickened as I put on my headphones yesterday afternoon. Displayed on my computer screen was one of the countless live streams tuned into the verdict being read in the Derek Chauvin trial. Even though I was over a hundred miles away, it felt like the Hennepin County Courthouse was just down the street.
I was worried that I may have to watch my home state of Minnesota go up in flames again.
Thankfully, that’s not what happened. Justice was served. People of all skin colors celebrated in the streets instead of rioting. A sigh of relief went out across the country.
I know that not everyone will see the guilty verdict the same way, but for me, it was an important act of accountability for a death that did not need to happen. It was a triumph of our justice system, one in which everyone is supposed to be held to the same standards, especially when it comes to matters of life and death. If you ever have doubts over what this trial was about, I suggest rewatching the entire nine-minute video of George Floyd’s life being snuffed out on a public street in front of a crowd of witnesses.
That should not happen in America, nor anywhere else for that matter.
At the same time, I realize there are some thorny issues surrounding this case. The “defund the police” movement that started soon after Floyd’s murder is an unfortunate and shortsighted reaction to a legitimate problem. If enacted, it would almost certainly lead to higher rates of crime and more victims who have little recourse besides vigilante justice. No one should want that.
This verdict should not in any way be seen as an indictment of all police offi cers or the profession of law enforcement. In fact, it should be a reassurance to the public that “bad apples” like Derek Chauvin will be held accountable, even by fellow officers. This should be the case in any line of work. Doctors should be happy when an irresponsible physician is found guilty of malpractice, just as attorneys should celebrate when an unethical lawyer is disbarred.
Journalists should be the same, willing to call each other out for poor reporting, bias, sensationalism, plagiarism or any number of other sins our profession engages in on an all-too-regular basis.
As I’ve written about before, I come from a family that represents all sides of this issue. My father was a deputy for the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Department for 30 years, and his grandkids are mixed race. They look like a lot of the young men who have been killed in police encounters over the years. I feel personally invested in having a productive dialog on this topic, and I hope it continues long after the crowds clear in Minneapolis.
OUT FOR A WALK
KEVIN O’BRIEN
EDITOR
